Elite Netball Research Articles

An investigation of the heart-rate profile of elite netball match play

Introduction: Netball is an intermittent court-based sport contested at an international level. The majority of research to date has focused on the prevalence of injury. The purpose of this investigation was to gain some insight into the intensity of match play at the elite level. Members of an elite provincial team were provided with a Polar Team 2 heart rate transmitter during four home matches. Due to player preferences and substitutions, not all positions are equally represented.

Biomechanical, anthropometrical and physical profile of elite university netball players and the relationship to musculoskeletal injuries

Literature indicates that deficiencies of certain parameters such as biomechanics, anthropometry, physical and motor abilities, may influence a netball players susceptibility to injury, as well as the players physical performance during a game. The primary aim of this study was to determine the physical profile of elite netball players from the North-West University club, between 18 and 25 years old, with reference to the biomechanical, anthropometrical, physical and motor abilities (balance, agility and explosive power). The secondary aim was to identify shortcomings in the physical profile of netball payers that could contribute to musculoskeletal injuries among players. The results reveal numerous biomechanical deviations among the netball payers during the first and second testing procedures. With regard to anthropometry, the group presented an ideal body mass index, but with an above-average fat percentage. A comparison of the incidences of injury among the players indicated that players with more biomechanical stressors showed more injuries during the season. Key Words: Elite Netball Players; Biomechanical; Anthropometric; Physical; Profile; Musculoskeletal Injuries.

Elite netball injury surveillance: Implications for injury prevention

Elite netball injury surveillance: Implications for injury prevention

The effect of braces on restricting weight-bearing ankle inversion in elite netballers

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the Standard 02-Air stirrup brace and the McDavid brace are effective in restricting ankle inversion when measured in weight-bearing (WB) before and after exercise in elite netballers. A sample of 18 female active players in elite netball league in South Australia with no history of lower extremity injury or surgery was used. Ten female volunteers took part in reliability trial without the exercise program. After an initial 10 min of warm-up on a stationary bicycle, the FootTrak (T.M.) a commercially available motion analysis system was used to measure the angle of calcaneal inversion in the frontal plane, prior and following application of the braces, following a functional exercise protocol and without any brace. An ANOVA indicated that the two braces significantly restricted ankle inversion in WB both before and following exercise. In addition, no significant differences were found between the actions of the two braces over the time measurement periods. As well, no significant difference was found between the measurements of ankle inversion in WB without braces, indicating that the true effectiveness of the braces was tested and that the maximal end range of ankle inversion was reproducible by the subjects over the time measurement periods. We therefore concluded that the effect of braces on restricting ankle inversion in WB is significant both prior to and following functional exercise.

Ankle inversion in weight-bearing: a comparison between left and right legs measured in weight-bearing before and after exercise

The aim of this study was to compare the range of active inversion of left and right ankle, measured in weight-bearing before and after exercise in elite netballers. A sample of 13 female active players in the elite netball league in South Australia, with no history of lower extremity injury or surgery was used. Ten female volunteers were used for the reliability trial without the exercise programme. After an initial 10 minute warm-up on a stationary bicycle, the FootTrak™, a commercially available motion analysis system, was used to measure the angle of calcaneal inversion in the frontal plane both prior to and following a functional exercise protocol. The ANOVA results indicated no significant differences in the range of inversion between the two legs both before and after exercise ( P > 0.05). We conclude that there is no effect of leg dominance on the range of ankle inversion; neither is there any additional effect of a functional exercise on ankle inversion measured in weight-bearing after ten minutes of warm up.

The acute phase response and exercise: court and field sports

Objective—To determine the presence or absence of an acute phase response after training for court and field sports. Participants—All members of the Australian women's soccer team (n = 18) and...

Enhancing fitness training adherence of elite netball players: An evaluation of Maddux's revised Theory of Planned Behaviour

An intervention based on the predictions of Maddux's revised Theory of Planned Behaviour was designed to improve fitness training adherence of a group of elite netball players. The intervention consisted of a persuasive communication and time management workshop, which targeted the social cognitive constructs of the theory. We adopted a multiple baseline across-individuals design over 14 weeks with 17 elite netball players. Baseline training adherence data were collected over the first 7 weeks. The targeted social cognitive constructs were assessed at baseline, post-intervention and follow-up. Large effect sizes for changes in training adherence from baseline to post-intervention were noted for 13 players (76%). Post-intervention analysis revealed significant changes in two of the targeted variables, perceived vulnerability and attitude towards current behaviour, suggesting that the intervention was associated with cognitive changes. Data from an intervention check provided additional evidence to support the efficacy of the intervention. A follow-up assessment over an additional 7 weeks showed that players' training frequency remained improved. The results support the view that the revised Theory of Planned Behaviour can help inform interventions that enhance the training adherence of elite netball players.

Adherence to Fitness Training of Elite Netball Players: A Naturalistic Inquiry

This study uses naturalistic inquiry to identify fitness training facilitators and barriers experienced by elite netball players and to determine whether they were related to types of Fitness training behavior. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 female national netball players. Inductive analysis revealed large variability between players’ fitness-training behaviors. Four case families of training behavior based on similar adoption and maintenance behaviors were identified. Cross-case analysis revealed that (a) self-motivation, enjoyment, attitude toward fitness training, and role of an England netball player were key facilitators of fitness training behavior; (b) facilitators and barriers appeared similar to those identified in the exercise-adherence literature; and (c) most facilitators and barriers could be viewed as operating through a revised theory of planned behavior (Maddux, 1993). Practical applications of the findings are discussed.

Foot types and lower limb injuries in elite netball players.

In assessing the foot types and lower limb injuries of elite netball players, the following summary seems warranted. Ninety percent of elite female netball players had symmetrical foot types for both feet and these players had experienced at least one lower limb injury. Only 7.6% players (N = 16) of the 204 players surveyed had never sustained a lower limb injury during their netball careers. Regardless of foot type, the injury history of these elite netball players presented with a total number of 449 injuries that occurred to both ankle joints (36%), one ankle joint (16%), both knee joints (6%), one knee joint (13%), shin soreness (18%), and retropatellar pain problems (11%). On further inspection, 55% of players experienced one to two lower limb injuries throughout their netball careers. Injured players showed that players with the pronating foot types with rearfoot abnormalities (57%) were the most commonly injured and that compensated rearfoot varus foot type presented the most lower limb injuries for all body sites.

Lower Limb and Back Injury Patterns of Elite Netball Players

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between lower limb and back injuries with perceived landing patterns and podiatric variables for injured and uninjured elite netball players. 228 players of a possible 240 participants at the 1988 Australian netball championships completed injury questionnaires and were assessed for injury status. Approximately 92% of those who were part of the injury surveys were also given a podiatric assessment. Pearson chi 2 and unpaired t-tests were used to assess relationships between injury status in 2 groups (history of injury, and injuries sustained during the championships) and perceived landing patterns during play and podiatric variables. A significant association was found between history of lower limb and back injuries and level of competition. Open age netballers reported more injuries than the younger players. During each championship, a similar number of players (23%) were injured irrespective of playing level. 71% of these players sustained a grade 1 injury, 15.4% a grade 2 injury and 13.5% presented with severe grade 3 injuries. 2 players were diagnosed with an anterior cruciate ligament injury and a further 3 players sustained a fracture during the championships. Most of the injuries were ligamentous (40.5%) with some overuse tendinitis (11.5%) problems. The injury history profiles of the elite players surveyed showed that ankle and knee injuries were the most common lower limb injuries with incidences of 58 and 22%, respectively. More than a quarter of the players had overuse type injuries (24% retropatellar pain, 38% shin soreness) and 33% complained of back problems during their careers. 18 significant relationships were found between injuries sustained during a player's career and podiatric measures. Only 22.5% of a player's foot types were classified as normal while 42% presented with rearfoot varus and 20% were grouped into pronated foot postures.